2023 HBCU Carolinas Showcase – Top Defensive Linemen
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The 2nd Annual HBCU Carolinas Showcase by Charlotte Football Insiders brings HBCU colleges and universities from the Carolinas and beyond together t o evaluate high school prospects for recruiting boards, offers, and evaluation by college coaches in person. This year over…
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Continue ReadingThe 2nd Annual HBCU Carolinas Showcase by Charlotte Football Insiders brings HBCU colleges and universities from the Carolinas and beyond together t o evaluate high school prospects for recruiting boards, offers, and evaluation by college coaches in person. This year over 200 players participated in the showcase at Harding High School in Charlotte, NC on a Thursday Night. Let’s take a look at the top Defensive Linemen from the showcase.
Chaz Knox Chaz Knox 6'1" | 285 lbs | DL A.L. Brown | 2025 NC – AL Brown – At 6’0 and 270 pounds, Chaz displayed a very good initial first step off of the ball which allowed him to win the majority of his one on ones versus offensive linemen. Chaz has shown well this offseason in various camps and showcases and should continue to be a very good interior defensive line player this upcoming season.
Antonio Armstrong
Antonio
Armstrong
6'3" | 220 lbs | DL
Kings Mtn. | 2025
State
NC
– Kings Mountain – At 6’2 and 220 pounds, Antonio is moving to a hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end position this season and should see a lot of single 1 on 1 battles opposite Curtis Simpson on the other side of the line. The impressive thing about Antonio is how well he moves at his size – as he continues to grow and get stronger, he will definitely improve on his 8 sacks from a year ago and gain more college interest as a result.
Jaden Meeks
Jaden
Meeks
6'1" | 235 lbs | DL
Chambers | 2024
State
NC
– Chambers – One of my favorite D-Linemen in the Charlotte Metro Area – Meeks at 6’1 and 225 pounds is lightning quick off of the football thanks to a great get-off and excellent overall footwork. He can put that get-off together with a couple of pass-rush moves off the line, which makes him an excellent interior pass-rusher in passing situations. A 2024 prospect, he currently has an offer from Northwestern Oklahoma State.
Javier Currie – Kings Mountain (MVP) – Currie won the Defensive Linemen MVP award after coming into this showcase against more known prospects. Currie was very impressive through drills and 1 on 1 competition, and he also won the Strongest Man competition among the linemen with an incredible display of strength and stamina. At 6’0 and 200 pounds, he will be an important part of the Kings Mountain defensive line off the edge or the interior. A 2024 prospect, I would expect college interest to pick up as we get into the start of the regular season.
Noah Clark
Noah
Clark
6'3" | 300 lbs | DL
CE Jordan | 2026
State
NC
– Jordan – A 2026 prospect, Noah is listed at 6’3 and 290 pounds, which is some serious size at the Defensive Tackle/Nose Tackle position. I liked how Noah really used his hands and then worked moves off of that initial hand engagement. He is strong and quick already early in his development, which speaks well for his future. I would expect Noah to really start gaining some college interest as he continues visiting some schools this summer during camp season.
Ian Coleman
Ian
Coleman
6'2" | 220 lbs | LB
Butler | 2025
State
NC
– Butler – At 6’2 and 230 pounds, Coleman is a 2025 prospect who is coming off of a strong season last fall, where he had double-digit sacks on the year. He currently holds offers from Boston College and Charlotte, and should continue to progress into a Division 1 level player – excellent getoff when rushing the passer, a strong point of the attack player versus the run, and he can play some in space if he is playing an EDGE or outside linebacker role.